


Vertigo

by RamIsAway



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Crying, F/M, Gen, Hurt Varian (Disney), Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Limbs, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Permanent Injury, Protective Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Sorry Not Sorry, Team as Family, The Author Regrets Nothing, Varian Angst (Disney)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25137994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RamIsAway/pseuds/RamIsAway
Summary: Things go way worse-Varian doesn't come out unscathed-
Relationships: Angry | Keira & Rapunzel & Red | Catalina & Varian (Disney), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian, Lance Strongbow & Varian, Quirin & Varian (Disney), Rapunzel & Varian (Disney)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 93





	1. Varian's injury

Anger dulls Cassandra's senses, blurring all sense of logic. Varian won't just _shut up_. He keeps talking and talking, going on and on about how she's making the wrong choices. It's really, _really_ getting on her nerves.

She throws out blocky rocks, slamming them into the boys chest and throwing him off his feet. He gets back up and just keeps going. Obviously that wasn't enough.

She bares her teeth and throws out more rocks, _sharp_ rocks.

She hears Varian scream before she even realizes what she's done. His scream is long and crackly, it makes her heart twist and she shoves that down.

His left arm has almost been torn clean off just above the elbow. The rock went through it. And his mid right thigh. Damn, she really did some damage.

Her heart twists again. She shoves it down, detaching herself from the situation as she forms a long, sharp rock from her armor. The look she gives him is cold, but he doesn't see it. He's become a pitiful, sobbing mess already. She scoffs and raises her arm.

She cuts through what mangled flesh is still just barely holding his arm together, blood spurting out, and he faints.

She chops that part of his leg off as well.

-

When Varian bleary comes to after a rather bizarre dream about the fourth incantation, he's trapped in a ball made of black rocks and suspended above the air.

And in a lot of pain. He feels a little bit lighter, too.

That's when he notices he's missing an arm. And a leg. So he screams, because he's only 15 and he doesn't know what else to do.

They're wrapped messily, blood already seeping through and dripping onto and out of his prison.

He can't breath, his vision is tunneling and all he can see is _red_ _red red_

He chokes, tears rushing down his flushed face. It hurts, it hurts it hurts. He's missing an arm and a leg, he's- he's bleeding out and- a-and-

And he catches a glimpse of the scroll, a patchy spot of sunlight bouncing off his goggles and onto it, revealing.. revealing the fourth incantation.

He pushes that to the front of his mind, forcing himself to focus on that and only that. He miserably shifts over, and reaches out to- oh.

He reached out with left ha- arm. His left arm. Stub. Whatever. He inhales sharply and grabs the parchment with his other hand and sets it on his lap so he can grab his goggles.

He gets to work.

-

Eugene feels his heart stop, because there's the kid suspended in a ball above the air. He can't see him well. He hopes he isn't hurt.

He points the kid out to Rapunzel, and they both call for him.

When he turns around Eugene feels sick. _He's missing an arm_. He hears Rapuzel gasp beside him. Varian makes a face. "Guys!" His voice is hoarse. "Guys I-I- I found the fourth incantation. It appears under a beam of light a-and- and my stupid goggles are too scratched to do anything-" he holds the parchment out with his right hand, Eugene's stomach twists. "I need something to reflect the light better-"

"Like a crystal?" Rapunzel asks, her voice soft as usual but loud enough for Varian to hear. She pulls out a ring _-his heart nearly stops-_ it does indeed have a crystal on it. Varian lights up. "I- yes!-" he shouts, but it goes unheard when Eugene and Rapunzel start to talk about the ring and proposals and-

"Okay you- you take this." She pushes it into his hands, smiling gently. "Get it to Varian, I'm going to go find Cassandra." Theres a hardness to the end of her words, and Eugene gets it, Varian still had two arms before Cass took him. So he nods, gives her a kiss, and starts to make his way towards the kid, ring in hand.

His ring. His ring. The ring Rapunzel was going to use to propose to him.

But he shouldn't think about that now because it's obvious that Varian isn't okay. 

"So.." he mumbles as he makes his way across the thinning rock bridge. "Your uh.. your arm huh? What happened there?"

Varian inhales sharply, averting his gaze. "Its- it's not the only thing I'm missing." He laughs dryly. And that's when Eugene sees his leg- thigh. He feels sick. "But please I- I don't want to talk about it. I dont think I could handle it."

So Eugene only nods. He doesn't know how he himself would react to something like that, and it seems Varian just is trying his best to ignore it and drown himself in work. The bandages he has are soaked in blood and dripping. He knows the kid needs medical attention as soon as possible.

He almost drops the ring handing if to Varian. Somehow, the alchemist manages to catch it with only one hand to do so.

He makes Eugene, carefully, hold the scroll while he points the light. It catches on fire. 

The kid shoves the burning paper into Eugene's other hand and scrambles to get a piece of paper and a pencil, and then hurridly writes down what he'd translated messily.

The scroll burns away.

Varian breaths a sigh of relief. "I got it."

Eugene smiles, reaching in to ruffle his hair. "Good job kiddo." The 15 year old seems to relax slightly at those words, and Eugene smiles wider.

-

When the small prison starts to move, Eugene holds Varian's right - _only-_ hand because the kid is obviously terrified. He doesn't have a doubt in his mind that they're moving towards Cassandra. He wants to keep the alchemist as far away from her as possible.

-

When a very battered Varian lands in Lance's arms his heart leaps into his throat. Varian is _missing_ limbs. His blue eyes are rolling back into his head, and then he's passed out. Lance might be panicking.

He hears Red and Angry's horrified gasps next to him, but he barely registers it. He's draping the teen over Max's back and ushers horse and children through the castle, confident that Eugene and Rapunzel will catch up with them on their own.

-

The next time Varian awakes he's in a hospital bed. In the castle infrirmary. He feels his throat close up, memories of rocks cutting through skin and bone, and muscle. Pain races through whats left of his arm and leg, it hurts.. so bad. He can't.. he can't believe Cassandra did that. He just.. can't, there has to be an explanation, or- or-

"Kid."

He blinks, pulled out of spiraling thoughts by his friends voice. He shifts, looking over at Eugene.

"How are you feeling kid?" He asks. Varian sighs.

"Like shit." He sighs, his words are slow and slightly slurred. Eugene raises an eyebrow.

"Language, kid. But, please, do elaborate, are you in pain?" He leans forward a little, resting his elbows on an empty patch of bed.

Varian bites his lip and rolls his eyes. "Mhm." He hums in reponse, squeezing his eyes shut. The pain is overwhelming, a constant throbbing reminder of the fact that he was missing limbs.

Eugene sighs heavily and Varian hears his chair shift, and the rattling of.. something. "What.. what happened?" He asks, and lightly taps Variants cheek, prompting him to open his eyes.

Eugene has a small cup of what looks to be medicine. Varian's face pinches up in reponse.

The older man helps the alchemists to sit up and places the cup im his hand. Varian downs it like a shot. Medicine is disgusting and it's better to get it over with faster. Eugene's eyes narrow slightly but he doesn't say anytning.

"Well, Cass kidnapped me, you know that." He stares down at whats left of his arm, bandages wrapped much more clean, but they are stained with red. At least it's not still dripping. "She gave me my own truth serum while I was sleeping and forced me to tell her the third incantation,

"After that she made the tower and brought me up. She told me she didn't want to hurt me and wouldn't as long as I didn't try anything when Rapunzel came. I.. tried to talk her out of it. Obviously, that didn't go very well." He laughs dryly at that, holding his left arm as close to himself as he can. He can't bend it. "I think I pushed her too far so she slammed these rocks into my chest.. and then after I kept going she.. used sharper ones."

He inhales shakily, closing his eyes again. Its easier to pretend it didn't happen when he can't see it.

There's a gently hand on his shoulder. "I'm.. I'm sorry kid. I know this is tough but I believe you can get through it." 

-

Eugene leaves shortly after and comes back with Quirin and Lance.

Quirin is at his son side in a heartbeart, gently, carefully, pulling the teen into his arms, one tucked under the child's missing left one. Varian clings to him immediately, holding the back of his father's vest in a vice grip with his only hand. He sobs.

"Dad-" he chokes, pushing himself further, trying to get closer. "Daddy I-I-"

"Shh, Varian, its okay." The man mumbles comfortingly, running his hand through his sons dark hair.

Eugene and Lance stand a little ways away, not wanting to invade on the small families moment.

-

"You'll be staying at the castle for a little while." Rapunzel informs him a day later. "To unsure you're safety. We're not sure if Cassandra will want you back.." 

She trails off, Varain sinks into his pillows. "Okay." He whispers, glancing at his dad who is seated beside the princess.

His father won't be staying, he's got too many responsibilities in Old Corona. He gets it, but he will miss him.

\- 

Varian gets a wheelchair. Which has to be pushed around by someone else because he's only got one hand and he can't move it himself. He really doesn't like it but he can't necessarily use crutches. 

So he deals with it. For now.

-

His lab has been temporarily moved to a room by Rapunzel. His temporary room. He starts to work on a mechanic that will hopefully allow him to control a wheelchair by himself.

Ruddiger certainly helps a lot.

-

Eugene, Lance, Rapunzel, Red and Angry spend a lot of time with him. They hang out in 'his' room and take him around the castle. They, ultimately, try to distract him from what happened.

Sometimes, it works, most of the time it doesn't. Its not like he can just forget that someone he thought of as a friend severed his arm and leg.

But they try, and he appreciates it. Its much better than being left alone with his thoughts and only that.

They're like his family, and with them Varian thinks he'll be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian had his birthday in prison. Very sad.
> 
> Let me know what you guys thought :) thanks for reading!


	2. Cassandra's regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chap takes place just 2 days after Cassandra's revenge :)

Any rage Cassandra previously felt left her, she just felt drained and guilty. She hadn't meant to go that far, but when it happened all she felt was rage, almost like it wasn't _her._

She wishes she could say sorry, but she doesn't know how, and she knows that it won't fix anything. It certainly won't bring Varian's missing limbs back.

She sighs and rests her chin on her knees, her ghostly companion sighing somewhere near her. She doesn't bother to look.

"You did what you had to do." The blue girl states harshly, irritation obvious in her tone. Cassandra's eyes narrow, and move to gaze at the girl. "He-"

"I didn't have to do that." The Moonstone holder states sharply. "I didn't have to hur him, I didn't have to go that far. Nothing he could have done would warrant that."

The blue girl, who's name she still doesn't know, rolls overly large eyes. "He was getting in the way Cassandra. Somethind had to be done."

"Maybe- maybe something but not _that!"_ she cries and leaps to her feet, throwing her arms out. "I chopped off his arm and leg! That's- that's _horrible and unforgivable_ and I-"

A sharp, cruel laugh leaves the ghost. "As if you wanted to be forgiven anyways. I thought you wanted to burn bridges, cross lines? Well you've done that, you've done what you wanted to, stop complaining!"

"I didn't want to hurt Varian!" She cries frustratedly. "He hasn't done anything to me! He was just unfortunate enough to have decoded the scroll!"

Again, a laugh. "Its unavoidable Cassandra. You would have had to hurt him sooner than later to take control of Corona."

Maybe that's true, but she doesn't want to admit it, doesn't want to admit that people like Varian would get caught in the crossfire of her rage.

Varian, who once looked up at her with pure wonder and adoration, forgiving her so easily even after she broke a promise, still so loving. Even when he kidnapped the Queen, Cass could see the pain bubbling under his skin, leading his actions, scrambling his logic. Varian did not deserve what she had done, not in anyway.

"Well, Cassandra? What do you have to say to-" 

She turns on her heel and storms out.

-

Her first instinct is to check Old Corona, its where Varian lives after all. Unless, of course, Quirin has yet to be freed from the amber. But she'll check Old Corona first because that's closer.

The town is quiet, easy enough go slip through unnoticed. So she does.

The house is quiet from what she cant see through the windows, and she doubts Varian would be allowed to do anything other than rest so- oh.

He'd still be in the palace infirmary.

-

It's easy to sneak through the castle after spending the majority of her life there. She's memorized all the shifts and which hallways are cleaned at what time, when somethings empty and when its not. 

Honestly, once you know the schedule sneaking in becomes a piece of cake. 

She's a little more careful once she actually is at the infirmary, unsure of who's going to be there and who won't, and she certainly does not feel like running into Eugene right now.

Its late, so her hope is that everyone is asleep. 

She quietly slips into the infirmary, hood of her cloak pulled over her head. It's not hard to find him, as he's currently the only one there. She lets out a sigh of relief when she sees him. It's good to know that she didn't.. kill him. He seems to be asleep.

The sight of his missing limbs are sickening. She takes a deep breath and carefully makes her way to his bed. He's paler than he should be.

After a moment of hesitation she reaches down and runs her fingers through his fluffy, messy hair. His arm and leg are bandaged much better than they were when she did it, but they've still got blood on them even though the accident was a couple days ago.

Accident. Ha. She doesn't think she can call it that.

"Hey kid." She mumbles, knowing he won't hear her. "Im guessing things have been pretty rough huh?.. sorry.. about that."

Silence is the reply.

For a moment, she feels the overwhelming urge to break, break and hurt, finish what she started. Breifly, her hand tightens around his hair.

she pulls her hand away from him. She.. doesn't know why she even came to see him.

He starts to shift, face pinching up, and a small, wheezey whine is her cue to leave, so she backs up, getting a decent distance away when he starts to scream.

She panics, backing away to duck behind one of the other beds when she hears pounding footsteps.

Eugene and Rapunzel burst in, worry clear on both faces, and they rush to Varian's side. He's still screaming. Cassandra needs to get out.

Rapunzel is quick to pull the boy into her arms, picking him up no problem, which, is surprising, and yet it isn't at the same time. Spending years swinging around on your own hair ought to make you strong.

They rouse him with gentle touches and soft words, pulling him from a nightmare in which Cassandra is fairly certain that she knows what the cause was. 

He starts sobbing the second he wakes, taking short, panicked breaths. Euege and Rapunzel curl around him. He clings to them like lifelines as soft, heart wrenching cries.

She inhales sharply, taking their current distraction as an opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

-

"Are you done throwing a tantrum?" A sharp, cruel voice meets her. She tenses, shooting her companion a glare.

"I didn't need to hurt him." She states, turning away from the girl. "I didn't need to do that to him, and that's final. Think whatever you want, I don't agree."

The blue girl huffs in response, but doesn't say anything else, and that's the end of that. For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank u for reading. To clarify Cass is still a bad person here.
> 
> Let me know what tou thought of this chapter :)
> 
> If i wrote more fics about this boy would you be inertested?

**Author's Note:**

> come yell at me on Twitter! @1NKY_GH05T !!!!


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